Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach, even though some of his reply was a mockery to the people who are struggling with pains and are going blind. The Taoiseach must be well aware of the benefit of the cross-border scheme, as it was on the Fianna Fáil pre-election video, showing what a great benefit it was and how Fianna Fáil got operations for its constituents. Maybe the Taoiseach was outside the church at mass advising them and, if he was, he should be proud to think he looked after his constituents and did the like of it and not be one bit ashamed to say he did it, wherever he stood to help them. I spoke to the Taoiseach about the constituent who went to his constituency office and was advised to go to me to look after her. I saved her eyesight and the Taoiseach failed to do so.

Surely, just a few months into his leadership, the Taoiseach is not intending to get rid of the scheme which helped thousands who were on the waiting lists for procedures. They used this cross-Border scheme and not the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, or any other scheme. I am delighted if there is anything that will increase the capacity of surgeries in the south of Ireland. I am all for it and, of course, that is where this should be happening but that may not happen for a year or two. Until it does, will the cross-border scheme, which gives people the opportunity to get surgery in Kingsbridge Private Hospital or any other private hospital in Belfast, continue in order that people have somewhere to go rather than go blind on the Taoiseach's watch?

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